Vacuum cleaner nozzle with variable venturi

ABSTRACT

A VARIABLE VENTURI NOZZLE FOR USE WITH A VACUUM CLEANER OR SIMILAR APPARATUS HAVING A PAIR OF FIXED POSITION PARALLEL ROLLERS WITH A CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN COMMUNICATING WITH A VACUUM SOURCE, AND A SPRING BIASED ROLLER CENTRALLY PLACED BETWEEN SAID FIXED POSITION ROLLERS, AND HAVING ITS AXIS ALIGNED IN PARALLEL WITH THOSE OF SAID FIXED POSITION ROLLERS, SAID SPRING BIASED ROLLER BEING MOVABLE WITHIN SAID CHANNEL AND PROVIDING A VARYING CHANNEL OPENING ACCORDING TO ITS POSITION. THE CHANNEL SIDES ARE CURVED CONVEX OUTWARD, SUCH THAT A MAXIMUM CROSS-SECTIONAL OUTLET IS PROVIDED WHEN THE MOVEABLE ROLLER IS IN ITS LOWEST POSITION, THE OUTLET AREA DECREASING AS THE ROLLER IS MOVED AGAINST THE SPRING TO HIGHER POSITION.

Sept. 20, 1971 DAMASCQ 3,605,172

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE WITH VARIABLE VENTURI Filed April 6, 1970INVENTOR. Louis J. Dumosco BY @AM 30 I 35 4| 3O ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofice 3,605,172 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A variable venturi nozzle for use with a vacuum cleaneror similar apparatus having a pair of fixed position parallel rollerswith a channel therebetween communicating with a vacuum source, and aspring biased roller centrally placed between said fixed positionrollers, and having its axis aligned in parallel with those of saidfixed position rollers, said spring biased roller being moveable withinsaid channel and providing a varying channel opening according to itsposition. The channel sides are curved convex outward, such that amaximum cross-sectional outlet is provided when the moveable roller isin its lowest position, the outlet area decreasing as the roller ismoved against the spring to higher positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of the invention This inventionlies in the field of vacuum cleaner nozzles and more particularly tonozzles providing a variable opening through which the vacuum cleanersuction is applied to the rug.

(B) Description of the prior art Vacuum cleaners generally provide afixed suction pressure and fixed air flow which is applied to the objectbeing cleaned, irrespective of the variable nature of such object.However, most objects, such as rugs, are not of absolutely uniformconstruction, and will be of varying thicknesses. For example, certainrug constructions contain varying pile depths, requiring differentcleaning strengths corresponding to the different depths, in order toefiiciently clean same. The broad idea of a variable nozzle opening toincrease or decrease the velocity of air flow, and to accordingly varythe cleaning force provided by the vacuum cleaner, has been shown inprior patents. See US. Pat. No. 2,181,594, to G. E. Bjorkman, and No.2,885,715 to B. Anderson.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide avariable venturi nozzle which adjusts automatically to the condition ofthe surface on which it is placed, which is efiicient and inexpensive,and overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a nozzle for avacuum cleaner having a variable venturi channel positioned between twofixed rollers.

Accordingly, a variable venturi nozzle is provided having two fixedparallel rollers With a channel therebetween, the channel having arcuatewalls providing a variable channel width. A spring biased roller,parallel to the two fixed rollers and running longitudinally the lengthof the channel, is moved up and down within the channel, the varyingposition combining with the variable width to provide a variable channelopening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 'FIG. 1 is a perspective view showingthe housing of the nozzle of this invention and its connection to asuction hose.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the nozzle along lines 22 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of this invention takenalong lines 33 as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view taken along lines 4-4 as shown inFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a detained view taken along lines 55 of FIG. 3, showing thespring mechanism which biases the venturi roller.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and3, a housing 20 is shown having a lengthwise portion 21 and an upperportion 22 which communicates with a hose or pipe-like structure 23,which is connected to the vacuum source of a vacuum cleaner. Upperhousing 22 contains upper channel 25 which provides a passage betweenhose 23 and the nozzle outlet.

As seen in FIG. 2, lengthwise portion 21 contains two fixed rollers 30,having axes extending longitudinally parallel to the plane of lengthwiseportion 21. The rollers 30 are placed near the side edges of thehousing, leaving a space therebetween, and are fixedly mounted at points31. Located between rollers 30 is spring biased roller 35, having itsaxis aligned in parallel with the axes of rollers 30. As seen in FIG. 3,roller 35 is mounted on shaft 36, the ends of which are positioned inspaces 37, which spaces allow for upward and downward movement of roller35. In contact with shaft ends 36 are springs 39, mounted in recessesnormal to shaft 36, and biasing same downward. The position of spring39, as well as shaft end 36, can also be seen in FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the venturi operation of the nozzle can beseen. Venturi channel 40 communicates between upper channel 25 and thebottom of the nozzle, and is located between fixed rollers 30. The sideedges 41 of the channel are contoured convex outward, such that thechannel opening is greatest at the bottom, and decreases to a minimumspacing toward the upper opening of the channel. The form of the channelwalls 41 is not critical, but must be such that, in combination withmoveable roller 35, the passageway between wall 41 and roller 35 isincreasingly restricted as roller 35 is urged upward within hole 37.From FIG. 4 it is seen that if roller 35 is pushed into its uppermostposition, as by a rug nap, the passageway is restricted to a minimum.Under these conditions, for a constant suction transmitted through hose23, the velocity of the air through channel 40 must be at a maximum,causing a velocity force imposed upon the surface beneath the nozzle.Correspondingly, for no nap or rill in the rug, roller 35 is in theposition as shown, at which point there is a maximum unobstructedpassageway through channel 40.

Rollers 30 may be generally of about twice the diameter of roller 35. Inoperation, nozzle housing 20 and fixed rollers 30 will sink into thepile of the rug, or other surface being cleaned, and the position of thebottom edges of rollers 30 will be relatively unaffected by naps ortufts in the rug. However, smaller raised surfaces will penetrate intochannel 40 and force roller 35 upward, the resilient force provided bysprings 39 being light enough to permit the roller to be easily forcedupward. Consequently, as the nozzle is rolled along the surface, roller35 will follow a vertical path which will vary in accordance with thecontour of the surface being cleaned, with the result that the velocityforce of the cleaning air will be maximized in areas of greater depth,and minimized in areas of lesser depth.

1 claim:

1. A nozzle for use with a vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a housing having an upper channel communicating with said vacuumcleaner, and having a lower portion with a channel runninglongitudinally therethrough providing a nozzle outlet;

(b) two fixed rollers housed in said lower portion and having their aXesin parallel with said channel, one of said fixed rollers beingpositioned on a first side of said channel and the second fixed rolleron the opposite side of said channel;

(c) said channel having an upper opening communicating With said upperchannel, and a lower opening, and having opposing arcuate walls betweensaid upper and lower openings providing for a variable channel spacing;

(d) a moveable roller mounted within said channel between said opposingchannel walls, the lower opening in said channel being variable with thevertical position of said moveable roller.

2. The nozzle as described in claim 1 wherein said moveable roller isconfined to movement through the center of said channel, such that itremains equidistant from each channel wall, thereby providing Openingsof equal size between said moveable roller and said each edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,181,594 11/1938 Bjorkrnan 154182,534,189 12/1950 Wright l5-371X 2,585,186 2/1952 Taylor 15418X FOREIGNPATENTS 1,223,107 1/1960 France 15371 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary ExaminerC. K. MOORE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. l5372

